Marrying Kairi
by SHSno8evil2
Summary: All grown up and ready for the big leap.
1. chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
He hung the speaker on the window, turned to Kiari, then barely   
  
caught her as she launched herself at him, kissing his face, his   
  
ear, his nose. He laughed. "Hey, calm down, honey."   
  
"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you!"   
  
Now that was nice to hear. Especially after he'd been suffering the   
  
pain of unrequited lust for so long. But with the right incentive,   
  
Kiari as his wife, he could bear up a bit longer. She already knew   
  
they were terrific together in just about any situation; he intended   
  
to show her they'd be even better together sexually.   
  
But he had to move slowly. Kiari was very new to this and the last   
  
thing Sora wanted was for her to feel used. She had to know that he   
  
acted out of love. Just saying it wouldn't be enough; her parents   
  
had sometimes said it, but damned if they'd ever shown it.   
  
Remembering her painful youth, Sora caught her face and held it   
  
still for his kiss, a long, deep, eating kiss that had the windows   
  
steaming up just minutes before the speaker came on and the screen   
  
lit up. He loved everything about her, even those traits she   
  
considered quirks, and he wanted her to know it. Ignoring the movie,   
  
Sora continued to kiss her, taking and giving pleasure until Kiari   
  
was tense and panting in his arms.   
  
Taking his cues from the way she moved against him, he slowly   
  
dragged his fingers over her shoulder, down her chest, and across   
  
one stiffened nipple. Her loud gasp gave him pause, and he said, "Do   
  
you like this?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
He shifted a little, releasing her long enough to move his seat   
  
back, then pulled her over the gears and into his lap. Kiari clutched   
  
his shoulders, her eyes wide as he started to kiss her again.   
  
A moan on the screen drew her attention. They both looked up.   
  
Kiari straightened, causing Sora to moan, too, as her rounded behind   
  
pressed against him. "What are they doing?"   
  
She sounded breathless, fascinated, and Sora stifled his impatience.   
  
He tried to focus on the movie, then grinned. "I'd call it heavy   
  
petting."   
  
Looking at him again, her expression devoid of any guile, she asked,   
  
"Do you want to do that with me?"   
  
His breath caught. "Oh yeah. I want to touch you everywhere, Kiari,   
  
honey."   
  
She considered that. "I didn't know..."   
  
Sora stroked her mouth with a fingertip. "Neither did I for awhile.   
  
Being with you, hanging out and laughing and having fun...I thought   
  
that was enough for the longest time. Then I figured out that when   
  
I'm with you, I could be myself. With the guys, I'm expected to act   
  
like a guy, ya know?"   
  
"How so?"   
  
He shrugged, trying to figure out the right words to say. "We're   
  
supposed to drink beer, talk sports, and tell crude jokes."   
  
"We do that sometimes." 


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Her fingers spread on his chest and she gave him a small, curious   
  
caress, feeling his muscles, which Sora knew were rock-hard in   
  
anticipation. She seemed intrigued by that, then asked, "What about   
  
when you're with other women? Can't you be yourself then?"   
  
He snorted. "Truth is, they drive me nuts, constantly primping and   
  
talking about dumb stuff."   
  
"I don't primp, but...Sora, we talk about dumb stuff sometimes,   
  
too."   
  
He cupped her face and drew her closer. "That's just it. With you it   
  
doesn't feel dumb."   
  
Kairi drew a deep breath, then stated, "I want to touch you. I've   
  
never... you know. Touched a guy there."   
  
Sora gulped. With his heart pounding, he whispered, "Anything you   
  
want, Kairi." And he meant it.   
  
She glanced back at the movie, watched intently for a moment, then   
  
with her bottom lip caught between her teeth she curled her hand   
  
around him through his jeans. His entire body tightened and he   
  
cursed low.   
  
"You like that?"   
  
"I like that."   
  
"And this?" She stroked tentatively, causing him to break out in a   
  
sweat.   
  
"I especially like that," he croaked. "I'd like it more if you'd   
  
kiss me."   
  
"Here?" Her fingers pressed against him.   
  
Sora almost lost it, because far from sounding shocked, she sounded   
  
interested. "I meant my... my mouth. While you're touching me."   
  
"Oh."   
  
Disappointment? He'd never survive this. "Use your tongue."   
  
"Okay." She was a potent kisser, and the combination of her mouth,   
  
her soft breasts in his hands, and her gentle caress on his   
  
erection, nearly did him in.   
  
"Enough."   
  
"But I like touching you." She tried to take his mouth again and   
  
ended up kissing his ear when he turned his face away. Her tongue   
  
stroked there too, and her soft breath played havoc with his libido.   
  
The sound emerging from his throat was part groan, part laugh.   
  
"Believe me, I like it more."   
  
"Then..."   
  
"No, I can't take it." He struggled for breath and   
  
added, "The last thing I want to do is make love to you at a damned   
  
drive-in, yet I'm real close to doing just that."   
  
Her dark eyes gleamed in the dim reflection of the big screen. "You   
  
really do want me that much?"   
  
"Haven't you been listening?"   
  
Her smile was slow and blinding. "Yeah, but the whole idea is taking   
  
some getting used to."   
  
Sora knew that, which was why he wanted so badly to go slow with   
  
her. If he scared her off, if she misunderstood his intentions, he   
  
could blow the whole thing. But if he went too slow, he might lose   
  
her to another man. A couple of times in the past guys had tried to   
  
cozy up to her. He still broke out in a sweat when he thought of it.   
  
Luckily Kairi had never taken them seriously. She was too used to   
  
disdain from the town to take any compliments to heart. Which was   
  
all the more reason for him to convince her how precious she was to   
  
him, how important.   
  
Kairi had more pride than any person he knew. Growing up in one of   
  
the least respected families in the neighborhood had hardened her   
  
determination, and made her pride a solid, unwavering shield. He'd   
  
never dent her pride, but he wanted her to trust him enough, to want   
  
him enough, to lower her guard completely. For him, and only for   
  
him.   
  
He pulled her head down to his shoulder and kissed her temple. "What   
  
next?"   
  
She burrowed closer, filling his heart with emotion, his head with   
  
need. "The stars."   
  
Sora grinned. "You wanna explain that?" He smoothed his hands over   
  
her back, down to her softly rounded hips.   
  
"I want to sleep under the stars. With you. Tonight."   
  
"Hell of an idea," he muttered. He started the truck, then lifted   
  
her into her seat, arranging her skirt, hooking her seatbelt for   
  
her. She watched him with soft, velvet eyes.   
  
"Do you think," she murmured, "we could go just a little further   
  
tonight?"   
  
Sora froze for an instant, then gulped. "Yes." Within 30 seconds he   
  
had the truck out of the lot. The stars were out and she was willing   
  
and he was a man who could only take so much! 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"You picked the perfect night."   
  
Kairi knew Sora was talking about the spectacular star-filled sky,   
  
but to her, any night with Sora would seem perfect.   
  
She was learning so much about him that she'd never known before —   
  
like what a great mouth he had. And how wonderful he could make her   
  
feel when he touched her. She'd hated hearing about his expertise   
  
with other women, how much they'd enjoyed him, how good he was. But   
  
she certainly loved experiencing it first hand.   
  
She was seeing Sora as a man in the most basic sense, not just as a   
  
friend, not just as a person she'd always admired above all others.   
  
All the things she'd ever felt for him were colliding in an   
  
interesting, if confusing way.   
  
She trusted Sora, she always had, but believing that he wanted her   
  
sexually was a pretty abstract notion for her. It was almost as hard   
  
to believe as him telling her that other men wanted her. Or that the   
  
women in the community admired her.   
  
Strange...but oh, she so desperately wanted to believe. All of it.   
  
Kairi knelt down on the blanket he'd spread beneath a tall sheltering   
  
oak and watched Sora with new eyes. He was gentle as always, but now   
  
in a new and different way. When he touched her, it was with a near   
  
reverence that threatened to break her heart. No one had ever   
  
treated her that way. Not the townsfolk, not even her own parents.   
  
Shaking off that thought, she looked around at the shadowed land and   
  
said, "I love it here. I always have."   
  
Sora tossed a few pillows at the top of the blanket, his big body   
  
and endearing face visible in the moonlight and starshine. "From the   
  
time we were in junior high, you've always loved it here. Know what   
  
I think?"   
  
She hoped he was thinking about her and what she wanted to do to   
  
him. "What?"   
  
"I think you like it here because it's so different from your home."   
  
That was certainly true enough. While he'd been raised on a   
  
sprawling farm that showed the pride of caring for that land, she'd   
  
grown up in a crowded bungalow that was forever in need of repair.   
  
Her mother, more inclined to weep over what needed to be done than   
  
to actually do it, had claimed there was no reason to pretty up the   
  
postage stamp-sized yard when the house looked so awful. And her   
  
father hadn't cared two figs whether or not the plumbing leaked or   
  
the shingles blew off the roof. Or if the town disdained their   
  
disreputable presence.   
  
Kairi cared. Even before her father passed away, she'd learned how to   
  
fix what her parents wouldn't. And in the process, she'd alienated   
  
herself from the other kids, because none of them could understand   
  
her or her strange priorities. Rather than buy a new blouse, she'd   
  
worked hard at various odd jobs to buy new tools. While they went to   
  
dances, she'd worked on plumbing. Only Sora had ever understood what   
  
had driven her.   
  
Just as he understood her curiosity now.   
  
"Take off your shirt, Sora. I want to look at you."   
  
The night air was balmy and warm and Sora did as she asked without   
  
hesitation. "You too," he suggested roughly.   
  
Kairi shook her head. "If I do, you'll probably get distracted and I   
  
won't get to do what I want."   
  
"What is it you want, Kairi?"   
  
"To touch you. To make you feel the same way you make me feel." 


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
  
  
"We'll see." Crawling on her knees, Kairi moved over his thighs with   
  
her back to him. "Let me get these boots off you."   
  
Sora braced himself with his hands behind him and lifted one foot.   
  
"I like having your sweet behind right there, Kairi. I like it a   
  
lot."   
  
She grinned at him over her shoulder and managed to get his first   
  
boot pulled off. "I had no idea you were such a hound dog. When did   
  
you...you know. Have your first sexual thought about me?"   
  
"Ever since you got breasts."   
  
Kairi laughed out loud, and almost landed on her face when the other   
  
boot slid free. "That was what?" she asked, "when I was about 13?"   
  
Sora's hand slid up the outside of her thigh, making her gasp and go   
  
still. "Yeah," he growled. "About that."   
  
Moving before his fingers could make her forget her intent, Kairi   
  
turned around to face him. She shoved him flat, then leaned over him   
  
until their noses almost touched. "You can't tell me, Sora,   
  
that you've been thinking about me since I was a snot-nosed kid."   
  
His big hand cupped her cheek. "I have. And you were never   
  
snot-nosed. Ornery, yes, and pig-headed, but never — "   
  
Kairi plopped down on his abdomen, making him grunt. "Bull."   
  
"It's true." He caught her hips and held her still. "All my   
  
adolescent fantasies were over you, sweets. You kept me awake more   
  
nights than you'll ever know. But after awhile I managed to convince   
  
myself that we were best at being friends. And that's true. You're   
  
the finest person I know, and I'd die rather than give you up. I   
  
recently figured out, though, that I want more than just   
  
friendship."   
  
His thumbs rubbed her waist, gently, convincingly. There was no   
  
apology in his tone when he admitted, "I want everything."   
  
"Oh, Sora." He said the most wonderful things. It had always been   
  
that way. Whenever she was feeling low, she could count on Sora to   
  
cheer her up. He either distracted her, or teased her, or talked   
  
with her until she could put things into perspective.   
  
When she'd wanted to fix up her family home, he'd helped teach her   
  
how to do plumbing, and he and his father had taught her some   
  
carpentry. She'd worked the farm with him on occasion, and even   
  
helped his mother remodel the family room. She'd always cherished   
  
her time with him and his parents.   
  
Sora had learned the handyman tools out of the necessity for keeping   
  
an old farmhouse in showcase form, but he had no real interest in   
  
the work, not the way Kairi did. He much preferred running the diner   
  
and made no apologies to anyone for it. After her father had died,   
  
he'd held her hand through the funeral, then baked her the absolute   
  
best peach cobbler she'd ever tasted. That night, when her mother   
  
insisted on being alone, shutting out her only daughter, Sora had   
  
held Kairi while she cried. No one else had ever seen her cry.   
  
Choked now with emotion, Kairi leaned down and kissed him lightly.   
  
"What would I do without you?"   
  
Sora tucked her hair behind her ears and with absolute conviction,   
  
said, "whatever needed to be done."   
  
His faith in her was staggering. When he tried to bring her back for   
  
another kiss, Kairi leaned away. "You say you want everything." Her   
  
fingers trailed over his cheek, down his throat to his chest. "Well   
  
so do I. And right now, I want to touch you." She scooted back to   
  
sit near his knees and looked him over from his abdomen to the top   
  
of his head. 


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
"Good." She was certainly hot, and she relished the idea of him   
  
being in the same shape. Somehow, it seemed less risky that way.   
  
"You're a witch." He sounded hoarse and she could feel the tension   
  
in his muscles.   
  
"Relax, Sora. And tell me if I do anything wrong." The sounds   
  
of their combined breathing mixed with the quiet night sounds of the   
  
yard: the creaking of a branch, the chirp of insects, the quiet   
  
splash of a frog in the lake.   
  
Kairi spread her hands on his chest, enjoying the feel of crisp hair,   
  
hot skin, and solid muscle. "I love how hairy you are."   
  
He sucked in a breath and held it.   
  
"And how strong. And how caring." She leaned down to kiss his   
  
collarbone, the hard rise of a pectoral muscle, one small brown   
  
nipple.   
  
"I can't believe this."   
  
She couldn't either. Nothing had ever felt so right as being with   
  
Sora this way. "Shhh," she told him.   
  
The sound he made was both humor and lust. "I always knew you were   
  
bossy, but I only suspected the kinky part."   
  
Her tongue glided over his nipple, earning her more gasps and the   
  
additional straining of his large frame.   
  
"Oh babe — "   
  
Nuzzling her face into the dark hair covering his chest, she   
  
inhaled, then had to admit, "you smell good enough to eat."   
  
Her own body throbbed with sharp awareness, with need. Sora's hands,   
  
against her orders, tangled in her hair. He cradled her head,   
  
guiding her mouth over his flesh while murmuring what sounded like   
  
encouragement — and prayers.   
  
Inspired, Kairi stroked him all over, from his rock-hard shoulders   
  
and taut abdomen, to his straining thighs — and then in-between.   
  
Sora's hips lurched, his fingers tightened. "Kairi," he said, his   
  
voice shaking, "I'm on a hair-trigger here, babe. This isn't wise —   
  
"   
  
Kairi felt the length of him with wonder. "You're so big."   
  
Kairi jerked away from her.   
  
His chest heaved, his gasping breaths were ragged. He pulled her   
  
down beside him and squeezed her close, his face in her throat, his   
  
body trembling. Seeing him like this, knowing she was the cause,   
  
excited her unbearably. Kairi crooned to him, kissing his shoulder   
  
lightly and rubbing her hands over his broad back.   
  
Somewhere off in the distance a dog howled. Above them, an owl took   
  
flight.   
  
Kairi, overwhelmed with so many new feelings, shaken with new   
  
awareness, finally admitted that she was madly, irrevocably,   
  
insanely in love.   
  
It made sense; she'd always loved Sora, but she'd thought that love   
  
was only friendship. She'd never dreamed that he might want more   
  
from her so she hadn't even allowed herself to admit to her own   
  
dreams. Now she had no choice because he'd made her keenly aware of   
  
things that she'd always believed were out of her reach.   
  
He wanted to make love to her, she knew that. She wanted it too. But   
  
would it be enough when she wanted Sora forever, when she wanted   
  
home and hearth and the happy-ever-after?   
  
Maybe, she thought, feeling the press of his warm mouth on her   
  
throat, tonight would be the best she'd ever get. Tonight would be   
  
all he could offer. She'd be a fool not to take what she could   
  
get... 


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
She tipped her head back to smile up at him. "Another first."   
  
Sora managed to dredge up a laugh to cover his raging lust. He had   
  
to hold himself back from lunging at Kairi and making love to her on   
  
a scratchy picnic blanket. He had to remember that he wanted Kairi   
  
for much more than a one-night stand.   
  
"I love seeing your face when you're excited," she said. She   
  
leveraged herself up to one elbow and smoothed her fingertips over   
  
his cheekbone, his temple, the bridge of his nose. "You are so   
  
beautiful."   
  
"I'm a man," Sora said, scoffing at her description. "Men aren't   
  
beautiful."   
  
"You, Sora, are the most beautiful person I've ever known,   
  
inside and out."   
  
Her words touched his soul. Sora closed the scant inch separating   
  
them and kissed her gently on the mouth. Her lips trembled on a   
  
sighing breath. In a husky whisper that barely penetrated the humid   
  
night, he said, "You're the beautiful one. Will you let me touch   
  
you?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
His heart punched into his ribs, then fell to his stomach when she   
  
added, "But not right now. Right now, I'm just enjoying how nice it   
  
is to be held by you with all the beautiful stars overhead and the   
  
air so sweet."   
  
Sora thought about that. Kairi had never had much cuddling. Even when   
  
she'd been a little girl, her parents had been self-absorbed. It had   
  
always been Kairi giving and them taking. Emotion caused his arms to   
  
tighten. He wanted, needed, to tell her how much he cared, how much   
  
he wanted her. Not just for sexual adventures, but for the intimate   
  
talk a man and woman shared.   
  
They'd always opened up to each other as friends, but this was   
  
different; for him and for her. He'd grown up knowing how much his   
  
parents adored him, while Kairi had only known her parents'   
  
indifference. She'd learned to depend only on herself. Now he wanted   
  
her to depend on him, as well. He wanted her to want to be with him,   
  
every night, for the rest of her life. If he could show her how   
  
enjoyable sharing a bed would be — not just the lovemaking, but also   
  
the talking and the sharing — she'd be less likely to turn him down   
  
for a permanent arrangement.   
  
"You," Sora whispered into her ear, "will like the cuddling more if   
  
you get rid of these distracting clothes. I want to feel you, all of   
  
you. If holding and sleeping is what you have in mind, that's fine   
  
with me. But I don't want any barriers between us."   
  
He could feel her thinking, considering, and then slowly she nodded.   
  
"All right." She sat up beside him and the skimpy, teasing camisole   
  
got tossed aside. Her breasts glowed pale in the moonlight, and Sora   
  
couldn't quite stop himself from cupping her.   
  
"Sora..." 


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"You promised."   
  
"And I always keep my promises — for as long as you want me to. You   
  
know that. But undressing you is a particular fantasy of mine. Why   
  
not indulge me?"   
  
He felt her growing tension and was afraid he'd moved too fast. Then   
  
she said, "okay."   
  
Keeping his gaze off her naked chest was nearly impossible, but he   
  
forced himself. He flicked her small sandals off, putting them in   
  
the grass beside the blankets before rolling her onto her stomach.   
  
"Let me get this zipper."   
  
Kairi crossed her arms under her head and giggled. "Go easy. My   
  
behind is sore from that horse ride yesterday."   
  
Sora paused. "Is that so?" He looked down at her upturned derrière   
  
and grinned. Kairi was in such great shape, the thought that she   
  
might have overused a few muscles hadn't occurred to him.   
  
In one quick tug, he pulled her skirt down her legs. She yelped, but   
  
subsided and hid her face in her arms when he pulled off her   
  
panties, too. "Damn," he said, his voice sounding strangled, "you   
  
look fine, Kairi."   
  
Her folded arms muffled her teasing words. "You sure are a sweet   
  
talker."   
  
Sora straddled her slim thighs and spread both hands over her   
  
cheeks, rubbing gently. "I'll make you feel better," he explained,   
  
ready to use any excuse to touch her.   
  
"A naked massage." She groaned in blissful surrender. "Who'd have   
  
ever thought?"   
  
About every guy alive, Sora thought to himself, while he   
  
concentrated on keeping his hands impersonal, or at least as   
  
impersonal as they could be while filled with a sexy female tush.   
  
"Just be quiet and enjoy. After I rub the soreness out, we'll get   
  
some sleep."   
  
"This is another first, you know."   
  
"I would certainly hope so!"   
  
Because she was so obviously delighting in his touch, Sora extended   
  
the massage to her whole body. She sighed in ecstasy. "This is   
  
heaven."   
  
"Yeah." His fingers stroked deeply over her stiff muscles, around   
  
her shoulders, down her spine, working out the tension, relaxing   
  
her.   
  
With each gentle breeze, he could smell her, the light, womanly   
  
fragrance of her body as the night dew settled on her heated skin.   
  
The sight of her moon-washed nudity, the feel of her silky flesh,   
  
made him want to be inside her, want to look into her face as he   
  
took her. 


	8. chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
  
  
Incredulous, Sora sat back to look at her — and realized that her   
  
breath had evened into the deep meter of sleep. A smile curled his   
  
mouth and an invisible fist squeezed his heart. She worked so hard,   
  
exhausting herself to prove — more to herself than anyone else —   
  
that she could do it all. She may not be as physically strong as   
  
most men, but she made up for that with sheer determination.   
  
Sora patted her bottom before reaching for the extra quilt and   
  
pulling it over her. He settled on his back beside her and eased her   
  
into his arms. The stars were accommodating tonight, a million of   
  
them lending light to show the perfection of her features, her   
  
tipped up nose, her pointed too-stubborn chin, the tiny scar above   
  
her right eyebrow that she'd gotten falling out of a tree. He   
  
visually traced every line of her face, though they were already   
  
imprinted in his memory, as much a part of him as his own features.   
  
A light breeze ruffled her pale hair and she shivered, then snuggled   
  
closer to his side, wanting his warmth. Her bare leg slid across his   
  
abdomen, her knee nudged his groin. Sora gritted his teeth and   
  
concentrated on the constellations.   
  
Kairi murmured in her sleep, and her arm reached across him. Her hand   
  
landed on his mouth, her breath drifted over his nipple, her hair   
  
teased his skin.   
  
To hell with this, Sora decided, suddenly so aroused again he felt   
  
near the bursting point. A man could only take so much provocation   
  
before he totally lost his control. He looked down at Kairi, ready to   
  
give in, ready to seduce her if necessary so that he could stake his   
  
claim and end his torment.   
  
Her soft snore brought him up short.   
  
He stared, disbelieving that a woman could so easily arouse him in   
  
her damn sleep! But there was no denying it, he was hard as iron,   
  
and she was out cold.   
  
Sora dropped his head back with a self-deprecating groan. Just as   
  
well, he decided, trying to see the upside to having a naked,   
  
desirable woman beside him while being relegated to mere sleep. He   
  
needed her to want him with the same fierceness that he felt. He   
  
wanted her to crave him, and only him — for a lifetime.   
  
For now, he'd give her anything and everything she wanted. And when   
  
her birthday ended, he wanted Kairi to want to be his wife, with no   
  
regrets, no hesitation. He wanted to hear her tell him that she   
  
loved him, not that she was just curious about sex.   
  
Her snores grew louder, making him smile despite the insistent   
  
throbbing in his body.   
  
Kairi liked this sex business; even in her sleep, she sought out a   
  
sexual connection. He could use that to make her see the emotional   
  
connection as well. Being her first in every way would prove to her   
  
what a special relationship they had.   
  
The next few days would be a hell of a lot fun — if he lived through   
  
them! 


	9. chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Good grief! She was so comfortable with him, and he'd made her so   
  
annoyed, she'd almost forgotten that she wore only a camisole that   
  
didn't cover any part of her lower body. She turned for the quilt —   
  
and he charged her.   
  
Kairi only had time to yelp. She abandoned the idea of the quilt and   
  
ran. Sora laughed behind her.   
  
"A beautiful sight, Kairi!"   
  
She knew her bottom was bouncing and she ran that much faster. But   
  
there was no place to go. Sora was taller, stronger, his long legs   
  
covering twice as much distance in less time. Then his hand snagged   
  
in her shirt and she was jerked off her feet.   
  
She screamed more from excitement than anything else. She didn't   
  
fall. Nope, she found herself tossed over Sora's rock-solid shoulder   
  
with a bird's-eye view of that muscular butt she'd admired only   
  
minutes earlier. "Put me down!"   
  
"Okay."   
  
He headed for the lake and she couldn't stop laughing. "Don't you   
  
dare, Sora!"   
  
He fondled her bottom with a large hand, then kissed her hip.   
  
"Skinny dipping, Kairi. It was your idea, not mine."   
  
"But I —" That was as far as she got before she found herself flying   
  
through the air. Seconds later, the icy cold water closed around her   
  
and she screamed again from the shock of it, swallowing a mouthful   
  
of water.   
  
The ducks protested loudly, taking flight to the shore and making a   
  
racket as she burst to the surface. Kairi shoved wet hair out of her   
  
face, cursed as she whipped around, and found herself not more than   
  
a foot away from Sora. He laughed at her.   
  
The stone bottom of the pond was covered in moss and she barely held   
  
her footing as she took a swing at Sora. He ducked and she ended up   
  
turning full circle, only to find herself hauled up against his   
  
wonderfully hard, warm chest. He kissed her, and she could have   
  
sworn steam rose around them.   
  
"Don't get riled, Kairi," he whispered against her lips. "If   
  
you'd rather not swim right now, I can think of other things to do."   
  
Since his erection nudged against her belly, not the least   
  
intimidated by the icy water, she could well imagine what ideas he   
  
had. In fact, she had them too. "Tell me."   
  
He caught her naked bottom and lifted her into him. "We could go to   
  
the house. Take a nice warm shower..."   
  
"A shower?" That wasn't at all what she'd had in mind.   
  
"Mmm. And I'd make sure I got every little inch of you real clean."   
  
A shower! It was starting to sound like a heck of an idea. "And   
  
then?"   
  
"And then I'd dry you off nice and easy..."   
  
"I don't like the sound of nice and easy. I think I'd rather hurry   
  
things along a bit." The man had far more patience in sexual matters   
  
than she did.   
  
"Ah, but I'll make certain you enjoy every second of it, and I   
  
promise to reward you for your patience."   
  
"How?"   
  
"By kissing you from your head all the way down to your toes, and   
  
some very tasty spots in between."   
  
Kairi blinked at him, her heart lodged in her throat. Her legs felt   
  
rubbery and her pulse raced so hard it was a wonder she didn't cause   
  
waves in the water. She stepped around him.   
  
"Where are you going?" Sora asked.   
  
Kairi kept walking. Her heart thumped so hard, she was amazed Sora   
  
couldn't hear it. "To the house, of course. You've made some pretty   
  
big promises there — now let's see if you can keep them..." 


	10. chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Kairi didn't say a word, silently keeping up with his long-legged   
  
hurried stride. Even when he strode into the bathroom and turned on   
  
the water to adjust the temperature, she didn't say a thing.   
  
But she did smile, a secret little smile of anticipation that drove   
  
Sora crazy. He pulled her into the shower, watching her, planning   
  
his every move as he sudsed up his hands. It wasn't until the warm   
  
water washed over her and his hands stroked her breasts that she   
  
broke the silence. "Sora!"   
  
His heart thundered at the way she called his name. Damn, but he   
  
loved to hear Kairi when she was excited. Her voice turned all   
  
throaty and demanding. "Relax against me, sweetheart."   
  
He had her back to his chest and the showerhead aimed at her body.   
  
His hands, slick with soap, moved from her thighs to her belly, to   
  
her breasts again. He said close to her ear, "We wasted a lot of   
  
time, you realize. I should've gotten you naked ages ago."   
  
Her thighs trembled and she pressed her shoulders hard against him.   
  
"You were too busy chasing other women."   
  
"I was only filling up the time until I could get to you."   
  
Kairi froze for a heartbeat, obviously stunned by his words, then she   
  
moaned as he glided his hands lower, down, down, until the water   
  
sluiced over her and she was gasping.   
  
"Beautiful," he murmured.   
  
She reached back for him, her fingers digging into his hips, trying   
  
to pull him closer. He'd had just about all he could take. Sora held   
  
her upright with one arm when he bent to switch off the water.   
  
Dazed, Kairi stared at him with dark, heated intensity.   
  
She licked her lips. "Are we... are we up to the kissing part?   
  
Kissing everywhere?"   
  
Sora nodded slowly and allowed his gaze to coast over her.   
  
"Everywhere." He pushed the shower curtain aside and quickly dried   
  
off. Kairi stood there, waiting, her wet hair streaming over her   
  
shoulders, her body dripping, her skin rosy with excitement. Sora   
  
wrapped her in a towel, then grabbed another for her hair. He liked   
  
taking care of her, pampering her. She deserved to be treated   
  
special, and he was beyond pleased that she allowed him to do so.   
  
There was no working the tangles out of her hair, but she didn't   
  
seem any more concerned with them than he did. He caught her hands   
  
together in one of his, holding them behind her back while he moved   
  
the fluffy towel over her body, concentrating on her breasts, using   
  
the terry cloth to rasp her nipples until she moaned. "Open your   
  
legs, Kairi."   
  
Holding her gaze, he brushed the towel gently back and forth. "You   
  
like that, don't you?"   
  
She nodded, breathed deeply. "I'd like it more if you touched me." 


	11. chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
  
  
He wanted her to be as connected as he was. He wanted her to   
  
recognize him as her mate, not just for this, but for life. He still   
  
held her hands behind her and the position thrust her breasts out   
  
slightly. Sora bent and kissed one straining nipple. When she   
  
started to instinctively pull away from the sharp pleasure, he held   
  
her tighter and licked her, nibbled, then sucked.   
  
He could feel her contractions, feel the increasing tightness in her   
  
body. He straightened, holding himself still, not withdrawing from   
  
her yet, but also making no attempt to drive her higher. "Not yet,   
  
babe. Not yet."   
  
"Why?"   
  
Sora released her, then swept her up into his arms. "You're an   
  
impatient little thing, you know that?"   
  
"I know you promised I'd enjoy this."   
  
"And you will." When she lifted her brow as if in challenge, he   
  
said, "The kissing, remember?" He brushed her mouth with his own on   
  
his way through the doorway and to the bed. "I can't wait to taste   
  
you."   
  
She gripped him hard and made a strangled sound. Sora lowered her to   
  
the mattress.   
  
"Now don't get riled with me." He could already tell she wanted to   
  
rush him, but Kairi was a feast resting there in his bed where he'd   
  
always wanted her to be, and he damn well intended to take his time.   
  
"I promise I know what I doing."   
  
That had her frowning real quick. "I don't want to think about how   
  
you learned!"   
  
"Then don't." He lay down beside her, lifted her hand to his mouth   
  
and kissed her palm. "Think about how I've always wanted you, how no   
  
woman could ever measure up to you." He bit the tip of one finger   
  
and added in a rough voice, "How I'd walk through hell for you,   
  
Kairi."   
  
Not wanting to hear what she might say to his heartfelt declaration,   
  
Sora kissed her. His tongue slid into her mouth, stroking, teasing   
  
while his hand went back to her breasts. Lord, he could easily spend   
  
hours, maybe days, just loving Kairi's breasts.   
  
She gasped when he pulled his mouth away, then gasped again when he   
  
kissed her throat, her collarbone. "I want you to trust me, okay?   
  
Just take deep breaths and relax."   
  
"Yeah. Okay." She nudged his shoulders, getting him moving again.   
  
Sora smiled despite the lust pounding through him. Kairi was in a   
  
hurry, anxious for him to get started, and he loved her all the more   
  
for her boldness. No feigned timidity for his Kairi. She was curious,   
  
she was hot, and she wanted him to get on with it. 


	12. chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Kairi moaned and stiffened. "I love when you do that."   
  
"I can tell." Carefully, gauging her response, he explored her. Her   
  
hips lifted against him. He let her feel his breath first, then his   
  
gentle nuzzling, and before she could really prepare for it, the   
  
bold lash of his tongue.   
  
"Oh my, oh my," she repeated over and over again.   
  
He would have grinned at her words if he hadn't been nearly   
  
incoherent with need. He was gentle, wanting to bring her slowly to   
  
her climax. She moaned, her hips twisting. He locked his arms around   
  
her hips and held her steady while he took his fill, while he   
  
indulged every wild fantasy he'd ever concocted about her.   
  
Sora felt so full, so ready to burst that he hurt. But he wouldn't   
  
have stopped, wouldn't have cheated Kairi no matter what. He wanted   
  
to devastate her, wanted her to remember this and him for the rest   
  
of her life. He wanted her to accept him on every level.   
  
Kairi kept arching against him, the hungry, raw sounds she made   
  
urging him on and finally it was too much for him. He found her most   
  
sensitive flesh and drew softly on her, treating her to acute,   
  
nearly overwhelming sensations. And with a wild cry, she climaxed.   
  
He felt the trembling of her body. It went on and on and he knew,   
  
not only wouldn't she forget, but neither would he. She was better   
  
than any fantasy.   
  
She was his.   
  
When Kairi finally quieted, Sora pressed one last, soft lingering   
  
kiss on her flesh and moved up beside her. Her mouth was lax, her   
  
lips open as she breathed deeply, tempting him. He bent and kissed   
  
her. Her heavy, deep brown eyes barely opened. Her gaze was   
  
slumberous, soft.   
  
Sora kissed her again, harder this time, cupping her jaw and   
  
thrusting his tongue in so that she tasted herself, so that she   
  
understood his possession. Kairi gave a small, startled sound of   
  
surprise, and lifted limp hands to his shoulders. "You're mine," he   
  
said, sounding savage when he didn't mean to.   
  
Her eyes opened a little wider, staring.   
  
Sora knew he had to get a grip or he'd have her fighting him for no   
  
reason at all. Kairi didn't take orders well and never had. She   
  
tended to buck any type of authority. If he wanted her to marry him   
  
— and he did — then he needed to ask her with all of the fanfare she   
  
deserved.   
  
That would require a modicum of normal intelligence, but until he   
  
sated his own needs, he wouldn't be able to think at all, much less   
  
intelligently.   
  
He shoved himself up to sit at the side of the bed and jerked open   
  
the nightstand drawer.   
  
Hesitantly, Kairi asked, "What are you doing?"   
  
"Getting a condom." He turned back to her with the condom in his   
  
hand. "I'm staking a claim."   
  
Kairi looked from his face to the small foil packet. An impish grin   
  
spread across her face. "Well! It's about damn time, Sora!"   
  
And then she had hold of him and was pulling him back into the bed   
  
and all Sora could do was give her her way... 


	13. chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
  
  
She loved how he made her feel, both in her body and in her heart.   
  
He made her feel special. That was actually nothing new, but now it   
  
was so much more intense. Loving Sora, and being in love with him,   
  
were two very different things.   
  
"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered as he moved between her   
  
thighs. "You'll tell me if any of this is uncomfortable. I'll try to   
  
go slow —"   
  
"You talk too much." Kairi wrapped her legs around his waist and   
  
lifted against him. "And you're a terrible tease. Do you want me to   
  
beg?"   
  
"No." He groaned. "Not necessary, believe me." His broad, beautiful   
  
shoulders glistened with sweat as he slowly, so very slowly, pushed   
  
himself inside her.   
  
Kairi groaned, too, not with pain but with incredible pleasure.   
  
"More."   
  
A growled laugh and two seconds later, Sora gave her what she   
  
wanted. She felt the pressure building as he pushed deeper and   
  
deeper, felt the stretching of her inner muscles, but she also felt   
  
Sora, solid and powerful over her. Her friend, and now her lover.   
  
His scent was especially strong right now, hitting her on a basic   
  
level, making her want to drink him up. And the tenderness in his   
  
eyes...   
  
"I love you," she whispered, then bit her lip in shock. She hadn't   
  
meant to say such a thing! She wasn't like other women, wasn't   
  
seduced by circumstances into losing control of her tongue. She   
  
didn't want him to feel pressured or uncomfortable by her excess of   
  
emotion. "I..."   
  
His eyes flared with incredible heat and his body grew rigid. "You   
  
can't take it back," he rasped, then pushed completely into her with   
  
a harsh groan.   
  
Kairi held on tight as he found a deep rhythm, accelerating it until   
  
she couldn't catch her breath, couldn't keep from crying out.   
  
Without meaning to, she dug her fingertips into his shoulders. When   
  
Sora shouted, holding her so tightly she felt a part of him, she   
  
melted. Oh, she didn't see fireworks, but she felt the explosion in   
  
every limb, in every fingertip. And especially in her heart.   
  
"I can't move," Sora said some minutes later.   
  
Kairi tightened her arms around his back. "Then don't." It was all   
  
she could do to keep from crying, and she had no idea why. But Sora   
  
evidently heard something in her voice, because he lifted his head   
  
and forced her to meet his gaze, even when she tried to duck her   
  
head against his chest.   
  
"Kairi?"   
  
She swallowed hard and felt like a ninny when one tear escaped to   
  
roll down her cheek. She was not a weepy person. Her parents had   
  
neglected her but she hadn't cried. The town had frowned at her and   
  
she'd hid her hurt deep. But now, after receiving such incredible   
  
pleasure, she felt her emotions spilling over. It was such a dumb,   
  
female thing to let happen. Another tear joined the first.   
  
Sora bent forward and very tenderly kissed it away. "Are you all   
  
right?" he asked.   
  
Kairi nodded. "Yes. In fact, I'm wonderful. You're wonderful." She   
  
sniffed, then offered him a watery smile. "Thank you."   
  
Sora didn't answer. He continued to watch her, his gaze probing as   
  
if he could see into her mind, as if he knew her heart was breaking.   
  
He rested his cheek on her belly. In a whisper, he said, "I've   
  
always thought about this."   
  
Feeling very uncertain of herself, Kairi smoothed his dark hair.   
  
"About what?"   
  
"Being with you this way." He sat up and smiled at her. "I have some   
  
things for you. I meant to dole them out little by little, but I've   
  
been... distracted." Sora pulled out the small black box and opened it.   
  
Kairi smiled as a tear rolled down her face.  
  
"Kairi, will you marry me?"  
  
"Of course!" she cried out. Sora placed the ring on her finger. They   
  
embraced in a long delicate kiss. "This is the happpiest day of my life",  
  
thought Sora. Just as they pulled away from the kiss, Kairi began to fade...  
  
Sora woke from his sleep. "Damn it, it was all just a dream!" 


End file.
